I'd like to take a moment to congratulate Monolith on yet another exceptional game. Looking back, I don't believe this company has ever disappointed. I'll detail my own experiences with their games:

Shogo - my first Lithtech engine game, and one of my favorite shooters by far when it was released. This game had a great story, awesome gameplay, great graphics, and excellent level design to boot. Plus I was really into mecha-oriented anime at the time so it was that much better. :D

No One Lives Forever - Do I need to go on? Everyone knows and loves this game, and if you don't, you suck, n00b. Same goes for the sequel. This game was criminally underappreciated.

TRON 2.0 - This game rocks. Really, it's one of my favorite shooters that I played last year (I bought it when it was bargain bin, totally missed out on it at release). A better game by far than Doom 3 or Half-Life 2 combined, if you ask me. It had elements from Deus Ex that I really liked as well as some innovation of its own and really came together as a whole.

FEAR - Well there's a thread for FEAR but here again this game is so awesome. Great new engine, awesome graphics, awesome gameplay, blah blah...I'm preaching to the choir.

Monolith's shooters all share something in common - excellent pacing, creative storytelling, and gameplay that is simply above and beyond their peers. Their games are easily as good as Blizzard's (though their QA isn't quite as tight) yet they don't get the kind of credit that they deserve from the community in general. Yeah, I know FEAR was a big release, but not as big as Quake 4, or as big as Doom 3 & Half-Life 2's releases last year. These guys have continually shown that they are the best around and it's time they got some recognition for it. So way to go Monolith, you guys kick ass. :thumbsup:

|JuiceZ|

10-19-05, 10:39 AM

x2.

Watching the "Making of..." gave me a whole new appreciation for the level of professionalism and detail that goes into developing these titles :thumbsup:

CaptNKILL

10-19-05, 10:42 AM

This is probably pretty common knowledge for most of you but is FEAR based on the Lithtech engine at all? It didnt occur to me until just now that this game was made by Monolith :p

Tygerwoody

10-19-05, 10:51 AM

wtf is Tron 2.0 and Shogo :eek2:

karkrash81

10-19-05, 11:06 AM

Don't forget Aliens VS. Predator 2 or the original Blood.

Even their worst game, Contract JACK, was still decent.

Monolith, by far, IMHO, is the best FPS developer hands down. Raven a close second though.

Shogo, TigerWoody, was a first person shooter released in 1998 (?) by monolith and was the first use of their lithtec engine which later powered BLood 2, and No One Lives Forever. It was an anime influenced title with half of the game on foot, and the other half in a mech. Very fun and original.

TRON 2.0 was another monolith game based on the movie TRON. Released in 2003 i think. Had a unique visual style and some great rpg like elements in addition to cool cycle racing and a throwing disc. I think it was rereleased on the consoles as TRON killer app or something like that.

One thing that really stands out about monolith is the uniqueness of their titles, espeically the No One Lives Forever Series.

nVidi0t

10-19-05, 11:10 AM

lol, blood. I remember playing head football over serial.

Ninjaman09

10-19-05, 11:12 AM

LOL yeah, I forgot about Blood. That must have been one of their earliest titles, huh? Based on the Build engine if I remember correctly. It certainly was fun. :D

I never was a fan of the AvP games. :eek:

nVidi0t

10-19-05, 11:18 AM

Remember in blood they had the first 1v1 bot multiplayer experience? They had an enemy who would mirror your movements on the map! rofl. Most of the time he would be stick in a room or a hole but the gunfights actually worked out sometimes.

edit: Blood 2 wasn't bad either.

karkrash81

10-19-05, 11:18 AM

I felt the first AvP was below average but AvP2, especially the marine campaign, is one of the scariest games I have ever played (along with Undying).

I eagerly await news on their next PC project. (crossing fingers for NOLF 3)

anticitizenzero

10-19-05, 01:02 PM

I wanna see a NOLF3 on the fear engine :)

superklye

10-19-05, 01:43 PM

I want to see AvP3 in the FEAR engine

myshkinbob

10-19-05, 01:57 PM

Monolith do make excellent FPS. Slight spoiler, but in fear, all the scenes with that napes guy, you know, with rtfm on his belt buckle, were so reminiscent of the nolf games. It's like after the second time you meet him, i was thinking this reminds me of another game, the humour and the character design, something i hadn't played in years... oh, NOLF! :)

karkrash81

10-19-05, 03:59 PM

Too bad their other game is an xbox 360 only title. Condemned looks pretty cool.

six_storm

10-19-05, 05:48 PM

FEAR was an amazing game. Here here Monolith :cheers:

Reaper106

10-19-05, 06:17 PM

Monolith is a awesome Dev, I remember Shogo. It was a really fun game. I wish they would make a Shogo 2. I think it could have some really good MP if done right. :)

crainger

10-19-05, 06:20 PM

I love Monolith too. Ever since I played their 2D scroller. Claw or something was it?? It was about a pirate Cat fighting the Spaniel Amarda.

I loved Shogo:MAD. The blood effects were so well done and over the top. I'm hoping thier next project is Shogo 2. Maybe with Mobile Armor that actually has a controllable vehicle mode.

angshuman

10-19-05, 06:21 PM

I *loved* NOLF2. I usually like games with open and varied environments. NOLF2 not only had that, but also offered a huge variety in gameplay. Of course the storytelling was innovative as well, and the comic elements were awesome. The entire package was brilliant.

Somehow, I don't think I'll like FEAR. From what I've seen in the trailers and reviews, the environments seem dull, claustrophobic and monotonous. The gameplay also seems repetitive. The fact that my GTX gets its a** handed to it also isn't very pleasant, and I don't even want fancy soft shadows etc. All that I ask for is the ability to play at my native 1280 resolution with 4xAA/8xAF at 50 fps, but it won't even give me that much :(

However, after reading the fantastic feedback you guys are giving for this game, I'm getting more and more swayed. *Especially* since you brought up NOLF2, and agreed that Monolith has lived up to the standards they had set for themselves.

Shaitan

10-19-05, 06:27 PM

I was very dissapointed with Monoliths treatment of AvP 2. Had hoped for less quake, more sim approach. At any rate, from what little I have seen of F.E.A.R., I wouldn`t mind if Monolith took another run at AvP. But stick to the movie instead of trying to rewrite it. It is one thing to try to come up with something on your own when the idea is totally original, and yet another to think your story is gonna do justice to a well known movie licence.

karkrash81

10-19-05, 07:13 PM

I thought AvP was a comic book or series of books before the movie...anyhoo

http://www.planetshogo.com/ for those that want info on Shogo

Went through Gamerankings.com and pulled up monolith's games...a most impressive track record

I love Monolith too. Ever since I played their 2D scroller. Claw or something was it?? It was about a pirate Cat fighting the Spaniel Amarda.

I loved Shogo:MAD. The blood effects were so well done and over the top. I'm hoping thier next project is Shogo 2. Maybe with Mobile Armor that actually has a controllable vehicle mode.

OH DANG! CLAW! What memories. That was seriously one of the best games ever (for it's time). Maybe it's because I was young and seriously enjoyed that kind of thing... but still I just remember claw having an AWESOME story and Ninja-Gaiden-hard bosses.

emailthatguy

10-19-05, 08:37 PM

i hate to be the one that brings this up...

and keep in mind i say this as a huge fan of monolith.

they effed up pretty bad with the matrix online......

crainger

10-19-05, 08:37 PM

I just wish I had a chance to try the 64 person multiplayer. Not sure it worked but I imagine it would have been mayhem.

rflair

10-19-05, 08:38 PM

Yup, I played many Monolith games and must say I've enjoyed them.

PaiN

10-19-05, 11:55 PM

OMG!! ......BBBBBBBBBBBBlood hehe. The first MP shooter I really got into. I used to play with an MS 3D Sidewinder Pro. I played so much Blood over dial-up the buttons fianlly broke off the damn stick :) ..crazy ass game.

Anyway so ture Ninjaman, Monolith deserves huge kudo's for years of good fun :beer:

jAkUp

10-20-05, 12:09 AM

I *loved* NOLF2. I usually like games with open and varied environments. NOLF2 not only had that, but also offered a huge variety in gameplay. Of course the storytelling was innovative as well, and the comic elements were awesome. The entire package was brilliant.

Somehow, I don't think I'll like FEAR. From what I've seen in the trailers and reviews, the environments seem dull, claustrophobic and monotonous. The gameplay also seems repetitive. The fact that my GTX gets its a** handed to it also isn't very pleasant, and I don't even want fancy soft shadows etc. All that I ask for is the ability to play at my native 1280 resolution with 4xAA/8xAF at 50 fps, but it won't even give me that much :(

However, after reading the fantastic feedback you guys are giving for this game, I'm getting more and more swayed. *Especially* since you brought up NOLF2, and agreed that Monolith has lived up to the standards they had set for themselves.